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Teesta River, LBA: India must play good host to Bangladesh PM
by Rajeev Sharma Jul 29, 2013
Teesta River, LBA: India must play good host to Bangladesh PM - Firstpost
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to visit India in less than two months from now. The upcoming visit is important. Here is why this visit is going to be important for India and what New Delhi can and should do.
In many ways, this article should be taken as part II of my earlier piece on the same subject which was published here.
Indian BSF personnel patrol on their bicycles in Fasidaya villageBangladesh shares a nearly 4100 km-long border with India. Reuters
When you talk about Indias immediate and contiguous neighbours, there are only eight countries with which India shares land boundaries. Bangladesh tops this list as it shares nearly 4100 km-long border with India, while the other countries in the descending order are: China (the land boundaries are claimed differently by India and China; India puts it at 3488 km, while China contends that it is only little less than 2000 kms); Pakistan (2912 kms); Nepal (1751 kms); Myanmar (1463 kms); Bhutan (605 kms) and Sri Lanka (0.1 kms, the land boundary when takes into account the fact that India borders Sri Lanka on one of the many shoals of Ramas Bridge).
The case of Indias land boundary with Afghanistan is mired in political dispute. The land border between the two nations would be 106 kms and all of it via Kashmir, considering Indian claims. However, if Pakistans territorial claims are accepted, India will have no land border with Afghanistan.
This statistics-laden digression about Indias land boundaries was necessary to bring home the fact that geography has ordained Bangladesh, with which India has its longest land border among all neighbours, to be of utmost importance to India always. Therefore, the Indian diplomacy too has to give a higher weightage to Bangladesh than any other contiguous neighbour.
It is against this backdrop that Indias relations with Bangladesh assume a very high importance and, needless to say, that an impending visit from the prime minister of that country will have to be treated with due seriousness and respect.
It is a lesser known fact that Bangladesh is Indias highest ever- largest partner in South Asia with the bilateral trade figure of over $ 5 billion. Two border haats are already operational on the Indo-Bangladesh border and several more are all set to be added in the near future, opening up new avenues for further increase in the bilateral trade.
Bangladesh also happens to be the recipient of Indias largest-ever financial assistance to the tune of one billion dollars, of which $ 200 million was later converted into a grant. Virtually all of it, barring a few million dollars, has already been paid to Bangladesh.
In fact, Indias development assistance to Bangladesh in the last two years has been larger than even to Afghanistan, a country where New Delhi has poured in over two billion dollars in past several years for developmental projects.
Besides, India is set to release 500 mw of power to Bangladesh very shortly, delivering on its promise to be a key partner in Bangladeshs infrastructural growth. It is highly likely that this 500 mw of power will start flowing to Bangladesh from September this year before Sheikh Hasina lands in India for what will practically be her last visit during her present tenure which is coming to an end by January 2014.
On security aspects, Indo-Bangladesh relations have never been better. Bangladesh has already handed over to India a large number of insurgents wanted by India who had been operating from Bangladeshi soil. Bangladesh did this even though there was no extradition treaty between the two sides at that time.
Anoop Chetia, a major United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) figure and a headache for the Indian security establishment, may be handed over to India any time soon. Indications are that this development may take place before or around Sheikh Hasinas India visit.
Moreover, the anti-insurgency cooperation with Bangladesh has never been better and the number of deaths on the borders has dropped dramatically, a far cry from the nerve-wrenching photographs of Border Security Force (BSF) men butchered by Bangladesh Rifles being taken away while tied to bamboo sticks a few years ago.
All this has been made possible during the Sheikh Hasina rule ever since she returned to power in January 2009.
This is pay-back time for India when Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit in September. The UPA government will do well to deliver on her two foremost diplomatic and political pre-requisites ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement by the Indian parliament, which has already been signed by the two countries and ratified by the Bangladesh parliament; and the Teesta River water sharing accord.
On both, the UPA government needs support from the principle opposition party, the BJP, and the state government of West Bengal, led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has always been combative on the emotive issue of giving away land and water bonuses to Bangladesh.
Banerjee has been fiery-mouthed on both issues of late, particularly Teesta. India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers out of which a treaty is already in existence for sharing of the Ganges water. While the two sides are engaged with each other for finalisation of agreements for sharing of water of other common rivers, the Teesta is the most explosive issue among these.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, who was in New Delhi last week, had met Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the House and a prominent BJP politician, in this context. Monis meeting with Jaitley assumes significance in view of the fact that the UPA government is set to introduce the constitution amendment bill on the LBA issue in the Rajya Sabha when the monsoon session of parliament begins on 5 August.
The UPA government needs to tone up its outreach to the opposition parties in double quick time so that it is able to implement the LBA for larger national interest. In doing so, India will be sending a much-needed signal to its friends and neighbours alike that it is with them, for them, always.
by Rajeev Sharma Jul 29, 2013
Teesta River, LBA: India must play good host to Bangladesh PM - Firstpost
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to visit India in less than two months from now. The upcoming visit is important. Here is why this visit is going to be important for India and what New Delhi can and should do.
In many ways, this article should be taken as part II of my earlier piece on the same subject which was published here.
Indian BSF personnel patrol on their bicycles in Fasidaya villageBangladesh shares a nearly 4100 km-long border with India. Reuters
When you talk about Indias immediate and contiguous neighbours, there are only eight countries with which India shares land boundaries. Bangladesh tops this list as it shares nearly 4100 km-long border with India, while the other countries in the descending order are: China (the land boundaries are claimed differently by India and China; India puts it at 3488 km, while China contends that it is only little less than 2000 kms); Pakistan (2912 kms); Nepal (1751 kms); Myanmar (1463 kms); Bhutan (605 kms) and Sri Lanka (0.1 kms, the land boundary when takes into account the fact that India borders Sri Lanka on one of the many shoals of Ramas Bridge).
The case of Indias land boundary with Afghanistan is mired in political dispute. The land border between the two nations would be 106 kms and all of it via Kashmir, considering Indian claims. However, if Pakistans territorial claims are accepted, India will have no land border with Afghanistan.
This statistics-laden digression about Indias land boundaries was necessary to bring home the fact that geography has ordained Bangladesh, with which India has its longest land border among all neighbours, to be of utmost importance to India always. Therefore, the Indian diplomacy too has to give a higher weightage to Bangladesh than any other contiguous neighbour.
It is against this backdrop that Indias relations with Bangladesh assume a very high importance and, needless to say, that an impending visit from the prime minister of that country will have to be treated with due seriousness and respect.
It is a lesser known fact that Bangladesh is Indias highest ever- largest partner in South Asia with the bilateral trade figure of over $ 5 billion. Two border haats are already operational on the Indo-Bangladesh border and several more are all set to be added in the near future, opening up new avenues for further increase in the bilateral trade.
Bangladesh also happens to be the recipient of Indias largest-ever financial assistance to the tune of one billion dollars, of which $ 200 million was later converted into a grant. Virtually all of it, barring a few million dollars, has already been paid to Bangladesh.
In fact, Indias development assistance to Bangladesh in the last two years has been larger than even to Afghanistan, a country where New Delhi has poured in over two billion dollars in past several years for developmental projects.
Besides, India is set to release 500 mw of power to Bangladesh very shortly, delivering on its promise to be a key partner in Bangladeshs infrastructural growth. It is highly likely that this 500 mw of power will start flowing to Bangladesh from September this year before Sheikh Hasina lands in India for what will practically be her last visit during her present tenure which is coming to an end by January 2014.
On security aspects, Indo-Bangladesh relations have never been better. Bangladesh has already handed over to India a large number of insurgents wanted by India who had been operating from Bangladeshi soil. Bangladesh did this even though there was no extradition treaty between the two sides at that time.
Anoop Chetia, a major United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) figure and a headache for the Indian security establishment, may be handed over to India any time soon. Indications are that this development may take place before or around Sheikh Hasinas India visit.
Moreover, the anti-insurgency cooperation with Bangladesh has never been better and the number of deaths on the borders has dropped dramatically, a far cry from the nerve-wrenching photographs of Border Security Force (BSF) men butchered by Bangladesh Rifles being taken away while tied to bamboo sticks a few years ago.
All this has been made possible during the Sheikh Hasina rule ever since she returned to power in January 2009.
This is pay-back time for India when Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit in September. The UPA government will do well to deliver on her two foremost diplomatic and political pre-requisites ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement by the Indian parliament, which has already been signed by the two countries and ratified by the Bangladesh parliament; and the Teesta River water sharing accord.
On both, the UPA government needs support from the principle opposition party, the BJP, and the state government of West Bengal, led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has always been combative on the emotive issue of giving away land and water bonuses to Bangladesh.
Banerjee has been fiery-mouthed on both issues of late, particularly Teesta. India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers out of which a treaty is already in existence for sharing of the Ganges water. While the two sides are engaged with each other for finalisation of agreements for sharing of water of other common rivers, the Teesta is the most explosive issue among these.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, who was in New Delhi last week, had met Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the House and a prominent BJP politician, in this context. Monis meeting with Jaitley assumes significance in view of the fact that the UPA government is set to introduce the constitution amendment bill on the LBA issue in the Rajya Sabha when the monsoon session of parliament begins on 5 August.
The UPA government needs to tone up its outreach to the opposition parties in double quick time so that it is able to implement the LBA for larger national interest. In doing so, India will be sending a much-needed signal to its friends and neighbours alike that it is with them, for them, always.
AL is in very strong position. Next time they will win and come to power again.I just wonder how confident they are as if they know what will happen to poll.
